Small Business Development

Business Management

Education

Human Resources

Leadership

Sales & Marketing

Social Media

Small Business Development

New Business Record Keeping and Money Management
Congratulations! You have started a business, have a solid customer base, and everything seems to be going great except…the record keeping. While not the most exciting or creative aspect of running a business, record keeping is nevertheless a critical part of business operations. In this course you will learn the importance of record keeping, what records to keep and how long, why finanical reports are important and better yet, how to read them, and tips and tricks to manage the cash flow for your business. Hear from a local entrepreneur how they managed the financial aspects of their successful business. All materials are provided. Class sponsored by America's SBDC Iowa.

Smart Start: Starting a New Business
Do you have a business idea or looking to purchase a business? This workshop will guide you through what you need to know to launch your business and be successful. Hear from a local entrepreneur about how they started their business and lessons learned along the way. Learn how to create a business plan, conduct market research and estimate costs, prepare for a bank loan, legally organize the business and other license/permit requirements, record keeping and taxes, marketing ideas, and what financing options are available. Receive a business plan template, step-by-step guide to opening your business, and other resources available to help you succeed! Class sponsored by America's SBDC Iowa.

Business Management

Business Bookkeeping Certificate with Final Projects
This Certificate is designed for those who want to become a bookkeeper or for small business owners who would like to understand bookkeeping better. Increase your skills in payroll, Quickbooks, Excel, and tax knowledge to enable you to perform bookkeeping accurately and efficiently.

Accounting Basic Concepts
Designed for the non-accountant bookkeeper, office manager or owner of a business. Learn basic accounting terms including revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities. Learn to build and read the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. Become familiar with accounting debits and credits as you learn how to record transactions in this hands-on course. This course is approved for the Business Bookkeeping Certificate.

Payroll Accounting
It's a fact of business—if a company has employees, it has to account for payroll, fringe benefits, and payroll taxes. This comprehensive course will guide you through processing a new employee, calculating payroll and payroll taxes, payroll tax reporting, and periodic and year end payroll reporting to the government. This course is approved for the Business Bookkeeping Certificate.

QuickBooks Pro Desktop Level I
If you are a new user of QuickBooks Pro® Desktop, this hands-on training seminar is for you! Learn how to set up a company, customer and vendor files, and chart of accounts. Learn how to manage money coming in and money going out including sales, invoicing, paying bills, and tracking expenses. You’ll also learn how to reconcile accounts, and use reports to understand your business, including profitability and sales trends. All materials are included. Basic computer knowledge is required

QuickBooks Online® - Software Comprehensive
If you subscribe to QuickBooks Online®, this hands-on training seminar is for you! Learn how to set up a company, customer and vendor files, and a chart of accounts. Learn how to manage money coming in and money going out, including sales, invoicing, paying bills, and tracking expenses. You’ll learn how to reconcile accounts, use inventory and payroll, and use reports to understand your business, including profitability and sales trends. Bring your questions. Book, materials, and light lunch included. Basic computer knowledge is required. This course is approved for the Business Bookkeeping Certificate.

Understand Your Business Taxes
Income tax, sales tax, payroll tax, and the list goes on for taxes your business pays. Discussion will center on the various business taxes, forms and ways to file and pay the taxes, and things you can do in your record keeping system to better understand and lessen your tax burden. Participants will receive all materials and are encouraged to bring specific questions. This course is approved for the Business Bookkeeping Certificate.

Microsoft Project
Learn to use this powerful program as a tool for Project Management. You will learn how to develop and present your project plan, master the tools for managing schedules and resources effectively, identify critical paths and manage multiple dependencies, and track progress and costs—and make real-time adjustments.

Taming the Email Beast: Using MS Outlook and Gmail (Webinar)
Every day, managers and professionals are getting buried under a continuous stream of email, both useful and useless alike. If you would like to get control of your email "beast," you should join this webinar. Learn a proven system for taming your email account, with strategies for keeping your inbox efficient and under control by building and administering a personal "email infrastructure." Learn key technical tips for better managing your email using market-leading software like MS Outlook and Gmail.

New Finding Your Productivity and Focus in a Hyper-Interrupted, e-Distracted World
E-mail. Texts. Interruptions. Phone Calls. Project Transitions. Office Clutter. Social and Other Media. Smart Phones and Apps. Even Family and Friends. These common distractions make it almost impossible to get anything done, especially for those of us now “working from home”. It seems like there is always SOMETHING getting in the way of what you really need to do. But with some forethought and effective strategies, as well as some discipline, it is possible to find your focus, even in a hyper-distracted world. We'll have a fun time sharing "game plan" ideas for getting and keeping your distractions under control, and finding critical "focused productivity" time every day, leading to both performance but also clarity of mind and purpose. And, this program is now "audience flexed" -- the speaker will poll the audience at the start of the program to find out YOUR biggest distractions, and will customize the content accordingly.

New Smart Phone Success & Terrific Tablets and Terrific Tablets:
You know the fun apps , but what apps and functions will turn your IPhone, Android and/or Windows devicein to a productivi ty workhorse? In this session, we’ll discuss the apps, online services and peripheral devices that help take your Smart Phone (and tablets) from “cool” to “critical” when it comes to productivity, time, project, people, and e mail managemen t as well as “remote” productivity. You might even consider whether the combination of these devices could even replace your “old chool” laptop or desktop! And, for attendees using Microsoft 365 or Google Suite, we will discuss integration with your related computer/browser tools.

Fundamentals of Technical Writing
Learn how to translate complex information into easily understood language and how to become a wizard at marrying the art of publishing with the science of technology. Learn the secrets of successful technical writers including technical writing conventions, interviewing skills, desktop publishing and formatting techniques, key tips for developing graphics and templates, documentation management, and how to publish documents both on paper and electronically. To register https://www.ed2go.com/secc/

GRE Preparation: Part 1
If you're planning to apply to graduate school, you'll likely have to take the GRE. Part 1 takes you through all the question types on the verbal reasoning and analytical writing sections, including reading comprehension, text completion, sentence equivalence questions, and both essay tasks. You'll also gain pointers on time management, anxiety relief, scoring, and general standardized test-taking.

Certificate in Data Analysis
Data Analysis is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace. Add a whole new skill set to your portfolio, and make a big difference in the success of your organization by acquiring data analysis skills. Begin with getting a basic understanding of how to analyze data in a business setting. You will know the statistics behind these group differences and relationships. Finally you will find out how to perform inquiries that will be useful to your business or organization, and have the skill necessary to communicate these results through graphs and text that your fellow employees will understand. Classes include Introduction to Data Analysis, Intermediate Data Anylysis, and Advanced Data Analysis. There are various start dates for asynchronous instructor led classes.

Project Management Professional (PMP) Prep Series
Learn how to prepare for the Project Management Institute's prestigious PMP® certification exam. Master 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 6th edition'--the essential resource for the PMP® certification exam. This will consist of two online courses PMP Certification Prep 1, which focuses on relationships between inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The second course will be PMP Certification Prep 2 which will continue to build upon Prep 1 and focus on understaning such topics as earned value management, risk management, simulation, sensitivity anlaysis, and make-or-buy analysis.

New Food Protection Manager
National Restaurant Association; ServSafe Food Handler certificate. Now more than ever, food safety is in the public awareness as Covid-19 concerns continue. The online ServSafe Food Handler Training utilizes an activity and video-based approach to present, practice, and apply the ServSafe content. Learners will take the online course and attend virtual classes to prepare for Food Handler exam and meet the food safety requirements of food establishments. Job candidates applying for food service positions will have an edge with businesses because they have a demonstrated knowledge of food safety.

Education

Para Educator Certificate
This certificate will provide students an opportunity to develop skills and strategies to enhance communication and professionalism when working with colleagues, children, and families. Students will learn to support and maintain safe environments, as well as strategies for educational activities, team interventions, and technology integration. Overall, these courses will help students to support and maintain the positive social, emotional, and behavioral development of children.

New Communication, Ethics, Confidentiality (Paraeducator)
This is the first course in preparation for a Para-educator Certificate. In this course, the student will develop skills and strategies to enhance communication and examine situations where professionalism, ethical standards, and confidentiality will guide correct courses of action when working with colleagues, students, parents and others. This course is approved for the Paraeducator Certificate

New Roles and Responsibilities (Paraeducator)
This is the second course in the Paraeducator Certificate program. The student will develop skills and strategies to assist, support and maintain safe environments, educational activities, team interventions, and technology integration when working with colleagues, students, parents, and others. This course is approved for the Paraeducator Certificate

New Behavior Improvement (Paraeducator)
This is the Third course in the Paraeducator Certificate program. The student will gain knowledge, skills, and strategies to assist, support, and maintain the positive social, emotional, and behavioral development of children. This course is approved for the Paraeducator Certificate

Early Childhood Certificate Level I 96 hours
This certificate equips individuals with an operational understanding of both historical and modern approaches to early childhood programs, covering the qualities and skills necessary for working with young children. Health, safety, and nutrition are also discussed as factors which impact the growth and development of children from birth to age eight.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education
This course is an overview of early childhood programs and curricula, historical and present, and an examination of qualities and skills necessary for working with young children. This course is approved for the Early Childhood Certificate Level I

Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition
This course focuses on evidence-based concepts in the fields of health, safety, and nutrition, and their relations to the growth and development of the young child ages birth to eight. The course blends current theory with problem solving, practical applications, and assessments. The course includes collaboration with families and assesses the role of culture, language, and ability on health, safety, and nutrition decisions in early childhood settings. This course is approved for the Early Childhood Certificate Level I

Early Childhood Certificate Level II 96 hours
In this certificate students learn to develop curricula to support the development of each child, implementing evidence-based practices while being mindful of the impact of each child’s family life, culture, language, and abilities. Students also learn to create appropriate learning opportunities, interactions, and environments for children to experience dramatic play, art, music, and fine and gross motor play; ultimately, students will be able to use assessment to analyze and guide children’s behaviors.

Early Childhood Curriculum I
This course focuses on the development, implementation and assessment of appropriate environments and cirricula for young children ages birth, through eight. Students prepare to utilize evidence based practices in a context of children's family, culture, language, and abilities. An emphasis will be placed on understanding children's developmental stages and developing appropriate learnnig opportunities interactions, and environments to support each child in the following areas: dramatic play, art, music, and fine and gross motor play. This course is approved for the Early Childhood Certificate Level II

Early Childhood Guidance
This course focuses on developmentally appropriate, evidence-based approaches and positive guidance strategies for supporting the development of each child. The course emphasizes supportive interactions and developmentally appropriate environments while using assessment to analyze and guide behaviors. Students will learn the impact of family and each child's culture, language, and ability on child guidance. This course is approved for the Early Childhood Certificate Level II

Human Resources

SHRM Certification Prep
Commit to Your Career. HR professionals like you are facing new and larger challenges each day due in part to a changing workforce, shifting legislation and regulations and so much more. Ensure you’re prepared for these changes, and anything else thrown your way with SHRM’s global HR credentials, SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. Unlike memorization-based certification credentials, SHRM certification measures an HR professional’s most critical skill: the ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations. No other exam compares. By becoming SHRM certified, you prove your knowledge, competency and value to colleagues and to employers looking for a competitive edge in today’s global economy. Wherever your career takes you, your SHRM certification will define you as an HR expert and leader. Network and collaborate with peers to share real-life examples and bring HR knowledge and competencies to life. The tuition includes the cost of instruction and the SHRM learning system (online and printed material), a $1075 value. This course is provided through a partnership with North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC).

New Human Resource Strategy & Risk
HR Strategy & Risk Today's HR leader needs further insight into business strategy, the competitive environment, and assessing risk. This session will look at alignment and risk from an HR perspective. Learn more about contributing as business leader, making decisions that support the company direction while coaching others on daily decisions and risks.

New Human Resource Retention Strategies
HR Retention Strategies Retention now is priority 1. With tremendous recruitment challenges, we have to increase our retention efforts in ways that matter. Learn from the latest research, best practices, and models to shape your retention strategies. Identify ways to maximize your efforts even when resources are limited. Make a stronger pitch to senior leaders about efforts, initiatives, and impact.

New Human Resource Employee Mental Health, Well-Being and Burnout Recovery
HR Employee Mental Health, Well-Being and Burnout Recovery The toll of stress and burnout is very real. Join us for information and discussion around HR's impact for creating psychological safety and a mentally healthy workplace. Practice new tools to coach others to persist and recover from burnout. Renew your own strength and energy to continue to watch out and care for others.

Understanding the Human Resources Function
No matter what role you play in an organization, you are all affected by human resources. This course is designed to help people without experience in human resources to understand this very vital link in the organizational chain. It will prepare both managers and business owners to handle basic human resource functions in a way that will ensure the best possible result. In particular, attention is given to the hiring process, including ways to locate quality employees in a competitive labor market. Employee rights and the legal side of the human resource field are also covered.

Senior Professional In Human Resources
In this course you will learn about the five functional areas, Business Management and Strategy, Workforce Planning and Employment, Human Resource Development, Compensation and Benefits, Employee and Labor Relations and Risk Management, that will prepare you for the Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) exam. The SPHR exam, or the SHRM-SCP exam, is critical if you are wanting to move up in Human Resources, as it measures your strategic ability and your ability to join HR processes into the big picture of the organization. If you are already working in HR, this course will prepare you to move into higher levels such as becoming an HR Manager. Alternatively, if you've been out of HR for a while, this course will help refresh and prepare you to re-enter the field.

Leadership

HR Legal Issues for Managers
Learn about the human resource function and legal issues that impact a manager’s role. Get an overview of the major employment laws and work with case studies to apply the principles learned. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Management Basics
Get the core skills you need to ensure success as a manager or front-line supervisor. Learn about contemporary management theories and the role of a manager. Topics include team building, relationship building, communications, delegation, professionalism, and ethics. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Business Mentoring and Coaching
Learn a coaching strategy to supplement your leadership and management strategies. Understand the qualities of great coaches, leadership coaching strategies and coaching skills. You will have the opportunity to practice coaching skills as well as experience being coached with fellow participants. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Communication Skills for Managers
Participants will discuss how to be a better listener and how to coach an employee to change their performance to meet expectations. Practice giving feedback to employees through role-play. Whether communicating to your team members, peers or your own manager, this course will help you hone both your communication and influencing skills, helping you deliver the right message for winning outcomes. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Fostering Diversity in the Workplace
Learn how people from different backgrounds and experiences contribute to the richness and the competitive edge of any organization. Explore ways to create an atmosphere of inclusion, understanding, and appreciation for individuals who will enhance creativity, collaboration, and increase overall team performance. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Supervision Certificate
Leader, manager, supervisor, team leader – no matter what your official title, you’re expected to get the job done through others. This course provides new and experienced supervisors with the tools and skills for building personal confidence in their leadership role. You will see the relevance of the training, rapidly acquire the skills, and quickly put them to use on the job. Attend all twelve modules and earn a certificate in Supervision. Our program is designed for anyone who manages people in manufacturing, retail, or service industries.

Supervision Survival Skills
This training program is designed for new managers and non-managers interested in or identified for promotion. Knowledge gained in this program will enable you to avoid some of the hard lessons that come from on-the-job learning. Applicable in manufacturing, service, and retail organizations, this seminar presents the fundamental leadership and communication skills and techniques required to manage employees effectively. Content of this training covers the first two modules of the Supervision Certificate.

Introduction to Project Management
Increase your awareness of key project management behaviors. Participants will define a project, identify critical components for project management at each stage, and develop a personal action plan for applying project management skills. This course is approved for the Effective Management Certificate.

Buddy to Boss
One day, they are your co-workers and buddies – the people you socialize and take coffee breaks with. Now, you’re their boss. Suddenly, you find yourself questioning what you should and shouldn’t say to your former co-workers. Your job is now about them and no longer all about you. The challenge is not only in taking on the demands of a new, elevated role and the skills and knowledge required, but it is also in making the emotional and mental transition to that of manager.

New Team Building
Do you lead a team or merely a workgroup? What’s the difference, you ask? A workgroup is a collection of people sharing space while pursuing individual task accomplishment. A team, on the other hand, is a group of individuals working together to achieve a clear and common purpose. High performing teams make better decisions, serve customers better and faster, and effectively resolve problems without intervention. Your efforts to create and nurture strong teams enhance employees’ job satisfaction and increase retention as well. During this class you will: • Establish a framework to ensure a successful team • Learn to manage a team through its stages of development • Understand situations that undermine team development • Coach your team to deal with conflict in a positive way • Review the importance of setting clear and common goals toward measurable results

New Being a Dynamic Contributor
Do you know how to perform? What does successful performance look like in your organization? Do the people in your company understand how to “hit the ball out of the park?” Do they know how to deliver on their priorities? Do they understand how to stand out, how to bring their core talents, strengths, and skills into their work? What if the people of your organization were more engaged? Let’s connect and schedule your training session today.

New The Healthy Workplace
What makes a workplace healthy? Does it just mean that we work in a place where the employee breakroom refrigerator is free from mold and stench? Could it mean that the way that people feel when they come to work and engage in their objectives could be inspiring, meaningful and free from the distraction of unhealthy relationships and demeaning responsibilities? What if we knew how to drive out toxicity and drama? How could people perform if they were held accountable in ways that inspire people to get better every day? Let’s connect and schedule your training session today.

Sales & Marketing

New Customer Service that Shines
We are a service driven industry, however, many elements of customer service are missing in today's businesses. Explore the best practices in today's market to build relationships and keep your customers engaged in your business. This workshop teaches the importance of internal and external customers and how perception becomes reality.

Creating WordPress Websites
Learn how to create attractive, sophisticated blogs and websites—without any coding! WordPress is the world's most popular website publisher, powering more than 25% of all sites on the Internet. Find out how to use WordPress to create pages and posts, add images and videos, change a site's look and feel, and include user-friendly features.

Certificate in Sales
Social media and digital technologies, when understood and leveraged effectively, can enable you to find new clients and motivate these clients to take action in more efficient and strategic ways. Whether you are a beginner new to the sales process or a seasoned professional who loves selling, understanding the basic steps of sales and freeing your mind of negativity is the foundation to your business success. Gain a better understanding of the importance of the sales function and learn new skills in relationship management, prospecting, customer management, and delivering a compelling sales presentation. Move yourself or your sales team to increased success. The classes included are Strategic selling with social media, Power selling and Getting Started in Sales. They are asynchronous instructor led classes.

HTML and CSS Series
Introduction to CSS3 and HTML5 - Learn how to create state-of-the-art Web sites using modern CSS3 and HTML5 techniques. Take your existing HTML skills to the next level and start building sites like the pros. If you want to survive and excel in the fast-paced world of Web publishing, you're going to need to keep up with ever-evolving standards. The new standard for Web developers is to use CSS3 and HTML5.

New Marketing Tools to Build Customer Relations
Is your marketing plan designed to bring in customers? How do you establish a set of marketing tools that work together to satisfy customer needs and build customer relationships? Commonly known as the 4 P’s in marketing, this course will step you through the process of coordinating the four elements of marketing, Product, People, Pricing, Promotion, using current marketing strategies and interactive examples to effectively build better customer relationships that will benefit the businesses bottom line. Book and worksheets included. Class sposored by America's SBDC Iowa

Social Media

Achieving Top Search Engine Positions
The vast majority of Web traffic comes from search engines. That means the most important thing you can do to increase your website's traffic is to improve its search engine ranking. To do that, you have to understand both the art and science of search engine optimization (SEO). In this course, you'll gain the knowledge you need to boost your website's visibility. By the end of the course, you'll have mastered proven, step-by-step SEO strategies that you can implement right away.

Digital Marketing Suite
Marketing Your Business on the Internet - Find out how to market your business on the Internet, even if you have little or no money to spend! In this practical, hands-on course, you'll discover proven methods that will help you establish an Internet presence and build an online brand identity. You'll learn how search engine optimization (SEO) works and how to track your site's performance using Web analytics. You'll understand how to use online advertising, email marketing, and social media (including blogs) to drive business to your Web site. Finally, you'll learn how to keep your visitors coming back again and again!

Using Social Media in Business
One of the biggest challenges for business owners is finding new customers. Over the past decade, some business owners have leveraged social media to do just that. Whether you're a social media novice or a seasoned veteran, this course will give you a solid foundation in social media marketing and using it to grow your business. In today's globally connected environment, social media is a game changer for businesses.